There are shortages in areas, but often those are in smaller cities and rural areas. Primary care is probably the least palatable medical position to be in at this time. If you want to go into specialized medicine, there are indeed bigger opportunities, but often bigger time and money investment requirements. Nurses are also taking over some of the responsibilities of classically trained doctors.

Medicine is probably one of the more stressful work environment to be in, often with work/life balance suffering, so while positions may pay well, it may not actually lead to a happy life.

Politics and luck play a part in practically every career field. Having parents who can help support and bankroll you into a high-end medical or law school is lucky in and of itself.